The U.S. and several other NATO countries sent special forces to Ukraine, according to leaked Defense Department documents that have been spread on social media. The release of the classified material has triggered investigations by the Justice Department and the Pentagon itself.
As many as 50 British troops are believed to have been operating inside Ukraine at the time of the March 23 briefing. The U.S., France and Latvia are among the countries that each sent a dozen special forces personnel into Ukraine, according to the documents.
The documents don’t say where the forces are located or what they’re doing. They could be training Ukrainian troops as Kyiv prepares for upcoming counteroffensive operations. Foreign internal defense and unconventional warfare are core missions of the U.S. Army Special Forces, better known as the Green Berets.
Military officials in the U.K. are pushing back on the documents, saying the leaked material indicated a “serious level of inaccuracy.”
“Readers should be cautious about taking at face value allegations that have the potential to spread disinformation,” the British Ministry of Defense said Tuesday in a Twitter post.
The Pentagon says some of the documents appear to have been altered. During a press conference Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed to “turn over every rock” until the leaker is identified.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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